Blackwell / Brown Lectures in Philosophy

Language, Names, and Information is an important contribution to philosophy of language by one of its foremost scholars, challenging the pervasive view that the description theory of proper names is dead in the water, and defending a version of the description theory from a perspective on language that sees words as a wonderful source of information about the nature of the world we live in. • Challenges current pervasive view that the description theory of reference for proper names has been refuted • Discusses several topics at the center of current debates, including representation and information, two-dimensionalism, possible worlds, and broad vs. narrow content • Maintains the conversational and somewhat informal tone of the original lectures upon which the book is based

“Rationality Through Reasoning” answers the question of how people are motivated to do what they believe they ought to do, built on a comprehensive account of normativity, rationality and reasoning that differs significantly from much existing philosophical thinking. • Develops an original account of normativity, rationality and reasoning significantly different from the majority of existing philosophical thought • Includes an account of theoretical and practical reasoning that explains how reasoning is something we ourselves do, rather than something that happens in us • Gives an account of what reasons are and argues that the connection between rationality and reasons is much less close than many philosophers have thought • Contains rigorous new accounts of oughts including owned oughts, agent-relative reasons, the logic of requirements, instrumental rationality, the role of normativity in reasoning, following a rule, the correctness of reasoning, the connections between intentions and beliefs, and much else. • Offers a new answer to the 'motivation question' of how a normative belief motivates an action.

The expanded new edition of one of the most influential and controversial books about the nature of philosophy published in the past several decades The Philosophy of Philosophy presents an original, unified concept of philosophy as a non-natural science. In this provocative work, distinguished philosopher Timothy Williamson challenges widely-held assumptions and clarifies long-standing misconceptions about the methodology and nature of philosophical inquiry. The author rejects the standard narratives of contemporary philosophy developed from naturalism, the linguistic turn, postmodern irony, and other prominent trends of the twentieth century. Viewing the method of philosophy as evolving from non-philosophical pursuits, Williamson provides readers with fresh insight into the "self-image" of philosophy and offers new ways of understanding what philosophy is and how it actually works. Now in its second edition, this landmark volume comprises the original book and the author's subsequent work. New topics include the recent history of analytic philosophy, assessments of experimental philosophy, theories of concepts and understanding, Wittgensteinian approaches, popular philosophy, naturalism, morally-loaded examples in philosophy, philosophical applications of scientific methods, and many more. This edition features the author's latest thoughts on a variety of issues, autobiographical reflections, and replies to critics. • Proposes an alternative narrative about the nature of philosophy • Argues that the common assumption of philosophical exceptionalism is false • Highlights the similarities between philosophy and the other sciences in both methodology and subject matter • Explores why contemporary philosophy has failed to articulate an adequate methodology • Emphasizes increasing the methodological standards of reasoning in philosophy The Philosophy of Philosophy, Second Edition remains essential reading for philosophers, scholars, graduate and advanced undergraduate students in philosophy, and other readers with a sustained interest in the method and rationale of the doing of philosophy.